Vehicle spring



w. E. STANFORD ET AL- VEHICLE SPRING Filed May 18, 1922 2 Sheeis-Sheet l f Sept. y16". 1924. l f 1,508,755

y g w.rr:. STANFORD ET AL VEHICLE SPRING Fileapxvay 18, 1922 l 2 shane-sheet 2 J' @ma I /58 /59 .Imm 57 96 O' 7 '-WJ f.' n:

ff J2,

Patented Sept. 16, '1924.

-irsrATts Lanarte PATENTl oFFlcE.-

Wg-nLrnMfELYsrANFQRD aI-n nLMA L-Ertrrn STANFORD, or GALEXICO, CALIFORNIA.

VEHICLE SPRING.

` ,tho--yahiolo-;whlotravelingonfatonghnoodwThe particular principle involvedjis-,thatof .opnoylding vp lnnalty of 4oo-.ootfnne Springs' called :into kplay successively so vthat y.only certain mainv l'springs are used While y a nor -mal load is carried, While other springs whichremain idle under Ea normal load are called upon when shocksiare receivedand `quickly and eectively absorb the same. ,Springs oflthiakindotfer many advantages and We claim that if ,our v,springs are ar- .ra-ngednnder a `Vehicle in the proper mannertheykwill ,allowtvhefsame totravel on a nongh,rood ,with almost tho :Semo `fnoilty .ond-ot almost tho. soinofspoodason o Poyod .noad. y o

It is AAfurther proposed to arrange the springs that are normally idle in such a Imanner i thats they are `stretched to different l degrees of tensionso that,l only theheaviest shocks Willcall into playftall of the springs employ-od, :while lehton-Shooko :Willfrondor active onlyoa portion of thev same. This Afeature exercises an equalizingeifect and Will ,cause the shocks receivedy by-f the .axles of the .vehicle to bez transmitted -to the body gradually .and with va certain uniformgintensity since the heavier shocks have to overcome fglleater resistance before they affectv th'je body. AFurther advantages of yonr springs will appear as tho .dooorpton proooodo- 'eWth-.thosoobiootS-An mind Wo hoyo-illus- -atrad fthe annotated Storno ofotlnnvonton in tho reoooinpanyng drawings @in Whoh' ffFenfo l @hows 21,Sidoto1oyatonaof ono of our spring arrangements; Figure@ a top riolen ,View of ,the `4.,Sano; .Fgnro 33 .n oroSS section 'along-fthe lino 3T3 ,of Fignro r`2;

ymay ybe employed.

f idolitionaly leaves y(19,) Eneath the principalleaf (16)v and assist" in kcarryingv the normal load as Well as in checky ing thoroloonnd- Y Y v `thus describedis connected with the body of the vehicley through vthe block (21)"shovvn in/Figure as con- 1922. Serial-No. 561,889.

Y eleyation of "further modification; AFigure 7 atop plan view of the same; Figure 8 a side elevation of another modiication; Figure 9 a top plan View ot thesame, and Fig-V ure k10 a cross sectionthrough the same 'along line 10i-10 ofligureg. The ideaexpressed in our invention has thus` been illustratedfin four dierent lmodiicationsa but it should be under'stoodthat various other slight changesfor alterationstmay be made Within the scopeV ,of the claims hereto at-Y tached Without departing from the spirit of thoinyorntionf c ,Rofollng,Pnrtouloly toFeLno lft :Will bens'eeny 'that-l a. rigid/frame (1)' is supported on kan axle (2) by means of clamps ,a retaining plate ((1)1and'nuts (6).A Thepan ticulargmeans of kfasteningthe Jframe tothe Vaxle are of no consequence for the purpose of thisdescription and any suitable means As will `be seen the frame re-stson the axle on edge or in a vertical /plane and presents in its essential kfeatures a llower frame member (7,) resting on the aXle, an upper frame member (8) and two lateral frame ,members (9) .and (11).k From the upper frame member (8) are pivotally supportedtwoflinks (12) and (13) and support Withy their yfree ends the main spring (14). The latter comprises one principal leaf I(16) and ar plurality of shorter leaves (17) ,decreasing in size Vsymmetrically. The leaves are not in direct contact tWith .each other but have small spacingplates (18) linterposedbetween the same so Athat jordinarily the yprincipal leaf (16) is,

the only one infthis arrangementthat supports the load and the other leaves are not called into actionuntilra shook is 'received by ythe axle, in which case the other leavesy `Will be successively engaged,y each` doing its share to', absorb andy deaden ,the shock sothat very little is finally transmitted to ythe body.

are provided lunder- The spring.

sisting of an `upper portion" (22) rklfoyvver portion i (23), `joined byumeans" of cured a supporting member (28) by means of screws (29) or in any other suitable inanner, which latter carries the `plate* (31) adapted to receive the body of the vehicle.y

y It will be seen from FigureV 1 that 'a large plurality of other springs is provided to assist in absorbing the shocks. These springs may be arranged in various ways and we'do not wish to be understood as confining our-y selves to the special arrangement shown in any 4of theillustrations. In designingrthis arrangement our principal obj'ect'vwas' to provide springs having dierent' degrees of Vtension and `strength so that l all of the ysprings Vwould ynot be' rendered active siinultaneously, but someY might remain idle while others were being used.4 In Figure l, for

l instance, the ,diagonal springs (32) connecting the block with the upper and lower frame members respectively vmight be balancedrto assist the main spring in carrying "thenorinaliload The springs (33) passing through the block through holes (34) tapering from kthe center in both directions would be somewhat lighter and wouldV not be called into play unless a shock had beenV The springs (36) received by thev axle. lwould be stillflighter' and would Ynot per form any function unless a severe jolt had been receivedby kthe axle. Any number of steps and graduationsv might be arranged in this manner and the execution of thisv idea y, may be l'effected in many various ways.y

` .The'i'modiiications shown in Figures 4 and` while based on the same principal offer slight changes in the manner in which it may be attached to the car. In this inodification the axle (37) serves asia part of the frame and two lateral frame members (38) andY (39) are secured to the axle directly by means of clamps (41) or in any other suitablev manner, while ythe upper frame member is dispensed with so thatfthe'block (4 2) resting Von the main springv (43) and being additionally supported bythe springs (44);and' (46) may have the'body of the vehicle directly secured thereon. A further modification is shown in the fact that. the links (12) and (13) of-Figurel have been replaced by springs (47) and (48),v which would allow'V thevbody Vto sway. back and forth" over the; axle and to assume a rocking motion similar tofthat 'of a boat Yon Vthe 'waten The modification shown inFigures 6 and Z is Ydesigned principallyto be used to stretch across the whole length of the vehicle, y(5.1) .representing the front axle. and

52) thefzrear axle. Thus only lateral ,mem-

bers l(53)and(54) are employed for; the frame. ,Inst'ead of `a straight main spring a .semi-elliptical spring ('56) is usedwand for itssupport we employ a pluralityfof rlinks (15X) i, corresponding .in Atheir (affect very -mitch with the-springs (47A) andV (48) shown-y backward and forward of the body ofthe car. The auxiliary springs (68) ,-(69),(71)

and (72) are carried through suitable perfo* rations (74)"withinthe'block (73).*1-V

'.vVe claim: I' L l. Springmountingmeans for 'avehicle comprising af'rigid frame supported on`l a vehicle axle in a, vertical-'planeamain vspring pivotally supported inside* of *the iframe having a 'block associated therewith with means thereon for support-ing --the fve- A'hicle body, and va pluralityl of auxiliary springs between thenf'rame-and the-block, saidsprin'gs being stretched to di'erentfdevgrecs oftension so as tobev called intopl'ay successively.vl` f Y' Y l 2. Spring mounting meansV 'for/a vehicle comprising a rigidfraine supportedonf'a' vehicle axle in a vertical plane,". a maii'ileaf spring pivotally supportedinsideof the Vframe having ablockas'sociatedv therewith with ineansthereon for supporting the, ve-

hicle body aiidf a plurality of* auxiliary springs extending `through the `block 7in transverse direction. f

f V3. Spring mounting means yfora vehicle comprisinga rigid frame supportedvon'a vvehicle axlev in a vertical plane,-a-inain" leaf spring pivotally supported insidef'o'f the frame having a .block associated therewith hicle bodyYK and a plurality of auxiliary springs Vextending 'through the Vblock in transverse direction, the transverse *holes Vin. the VVblockl allowing the springs' to pass with means thereon forsupporting the ve-v iio therethrough being 'tapered toward. either "1 end `for facilitating endwise Vplay yof the springs.; j V y 4. Spring (mounting. means 'for a V'vehicle comprising afrigid frame supportedl onV vehicle axle 'in a vertical plane,a main leaf spring pivotally supported inside ofthe frame havinga block associated ytherewith with means thereon for supporting thev'ehicle body and a plurality of transversely h arranged auxiliary springssupporting the block, some ofthe latter springs extending from the sides of-"thebloel fand others extending'through the' block withv freedom of endwise play.

3 5. Spring mount-ingfmeans for-'alvehicle comprising a rigid frame' supported 'on'fwa A'vehicle axle-in a'vertical plane, ablockihaving means thereon fer ysii-pportingf the vehicle bodyv and transverse sprin'gsrsufpported in the frame extending through the block Jfor supporting the same.

6. Spring mounting means for a Vehicle comprising a rigid frame supported on a Vehicle axle in a vertical plane, a block having means thereon for supporting the vehicle body and transverse springs supported in the frame extending throngh the block for supporting the same, the holes in the block allowing the springs to pass 10 therethrough being tapered toward either end so as to allow of endwise play of the springs Within the block.

WILLIAM ELY STANFGRD. ELMA LETTIE STANFORD. 

